Sign letter and frame



A. M. KNAUBER.

SIGN LETTER AND FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.28. 1919. RENEwED Nov. 7.1921.

1,408,210. Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

A. M. KNAUBER.

SIGN LETTER AND FRAME. APPLICATION min Aus.2s. 1919. nzuzwzo nov. 1. 192|.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. M. KNAUBER.

.SIGN LETTER AND FRAME.'

-APPLICATION FILED AUG.2.8| I9I 9 RENEWED NQV. 7.1921.

1,408,210, Patented Feb'. 28, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Ynnirrgn s'rA'rEgs lifATENi'r OFFICE.

anniranniin ai. Knr-inane., oi? CHICAGO. iLLiNois, Assieivoia 'ro CHiCAGo ELECTRIC sieN COMPANY, or Cziroiieo, iLLiNois, a Conroe-Arion or ILLINOIS.

siGN Ln'rriin AND naaien.

Speecation of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

Appncation inea august as, 191e, serial No. 320,397. Renewed November 7, i921.- semina 513,553.

T0 all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER M. KNAU- nnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at @ali Parli, in the county of Cook and State of llinois, have' invented certain new and useful Improvements in vSign Letters and Frames, of which the following isia specification, f y y v This invention relates to' display signs.

It is particularly applicable to illuminated signs.

One ot `the objects of the invention is to provide an improved display sign.

Another Objectis to provide an improved changeable character sign.

Another object is to provide an improved traine-work for supporting the characters of a display sign. A

@ther objects andl advantages will herein# after appear.

An embodimento the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein zu A 'y Fig. 1` shows onejform of built up letter, projecting ironia-base plate and made in accordance with my invention. y

Fig, 2 is an enlarged section taken on line Q -270i F ig. 1 showing Vthe corner molding, by use of which the letter is made. l

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the molding.

Fig. 1 is a View in elevation of an incomplete i'lat letter. A p

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation cfa completed fiat letter showing apart broken away. Fig. Gis-a transversesection taken on line G--6 of Fig. 5. Y' i Fig. 7 is an Velevation of the iframe for holding the letters in place.

Fig. 8 is a transversesection ltaken on line SV-SOFig.'

Fig. 9 is a similar sectionV taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is an isometric perspective view oi' another forni-of molding used formaliingniy builtup letter. y

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

InFig. 1 the letter is shown to be made up of a composite base plate 10 anda laterally projecting portion 11.' The parts that are inthe same plane are joined together by the molding 12, shown in Fig, 10,wliile the parts that are in planes at substantial right angles to each other, are joined together by the molding 13. Both types of molding are made offa slinglepiece, or strip of metal, lfolded upon'itself into proper form, so asnot to require any soldering. Where the parts of the letter are put together, as at 111', in Fig. `-1, either the molding 12 or the molding 13 may .be usedl :tor this purpose, the parts of either ymay be bent into thewrequiredV angle, but where the plates are put together at substantial right angles,'as at 15, the molding 13, shown in l? 3, is more applicable for this purpose.

The top edge of the base plate of the charactei1 is bound or covered'by a strip of protecting molding 17. This molding is usually in the forni of a U shaped metal channel. The edge ot the base plate of the character may be tightly secured within the channel by any oi the means ordinarily employed, suoli as'a suitable cement. The bottom edge of the base plate of the character is bound or covered by a substantially H shaped or double channeled molding y12,

'such as shown in Fig. 10. The base is suitably cemented into the upper channel of the molding leaving the bottoni channel open or embracing a cooperating rail 18 of a sign iranie 16. rEhe bottom channel straddles `rail 18, one leg 1 9 being on the inside and the Vother leg 2O being on the opposite side yet an angle piece v9.2, above yand below, held together by connecting rods 23. On the out. side of the angle piece 22 another angle piece 24s, which forms therewith a downwardly opening channel for receiving the top edge ot a'letter 25. The letter 25 is lirst placed Ain the position shown in Fig.8 and then lifted so that the molding 12 can straddle the vrail 18 at the bottom` part 'of the frame,

after which the letters may be slid `inthe traine to any positions desired.

The characters are thus readily 'insertable Cyl into and removable from the sign frame. lVhen inserted, they are held at the top 1n the channel formed by angle pieces 22 and 21, and at the bottom they are: supported on and held by rail 18. The channel in the sign frame, formed by angle pieces 22 and 24, opens downwardly as does the open channel of molding 12 at the bottom of the letter. Consequently water running down the sides oithe sign characters is prevented from entering the interior of the sign framework. This construction is importa-nt in preventing short circuits due to the presence of water about the electric lamps which may be inside of the frame and the accumulation of ice which might interfere with the changing of the characters in winter.

In Fig. 2' there are three letters shown in the frame, the letters D, O and E, and two spaces, lilled with blanks 27 and 2S, or

Vthey may be filled with letters, in the above example, when the word has five letters instead of three. The center letter O is the key letter the last to be inserted in the tion the observer may be coming towards thev sign the light will not be seen through the joints between the letters. The letters E and D, however, not being key letters are provided with a part 29 only onone of its vertical edges.

The trame 16 is provided with an upperv wall 30 spaced apart from the lower wall 31 and the front face 32 at the top and a similar face 33 at the bottom. The lower wall 31 and the face 33 are joined together, as at 34, and in a similar manner the upper wall 30 and the face 32 adjoin, as at 35, the upper and the lower portions of the frame being held together by the spacing rods 23 that are vertically adjustable by the nuts 36.

In Fig. 6 the lip part 29, for breaking the joint, is shown on the front face of the letter, while in Fig. 9.' it is shown on the rear face of the letter. In this instance, only the part 17 is applied to one edge of the letters, the part 17 with an extension 29 is applied at the other edge to cover the joint to prevent the light from showing through the space between the letters, whether the lip be located on the inside of the frame `or the exterior thereof.

The particular method of making letters, shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, isspecilically described and claimed in my copending appliv cation, liled contemporaneously herewith.

The letter shown in Fig. 1 may be built up of plates of different colored glass or other suitable material. The interior of the projecting part of the letter, shown in Fig. 1, is illuminated by a light to be contained within the frame 16, and it possesses valu able features over and above that of a fiat letter in that a person approaching the sign from almost any angle will observe the projecting illuminated letter, while the flat letter, shown in Fig. 5, is presentable only when one approaches the sign at an angle atwhieh he may observe the flat surface and if he is proceeding in the plane in which the iiatsurface is contained, the letter is not visible. With the projecting letter, however, it is visible from any direction of approach. 4

In every instance the letters are semitransparent or translucent, to a more or less degree, so as to become distinctly visible Vat night, and they are made of such contrasting colors as to be easily discernible during the day. l Y

While I have herein shown two forms of letters, as a variation which my invention may take, and have also shown and described a frame best adapted in cooperation with the letters, it is manifest that the invention is susceptible of other variations, being limited onlyAby the scope of the vappended claims. r

Having described my invention, what I claim is v 1. In combination with a sign frame in which the letters are insertable and longitudinally movable, of an intermediate key letter having a molding, at eachof its vertical edges, to cover the joint between it and adjacent letters.

2.` In combination with a sign frame, in

which the letters are insertable and longitudinally movable, an intermediate key letter having a molding at each of its vertical edges to cover the joints between it and adjacentv letters and other. letters having a similar molding on one vertical edge, only.

3. A frame, forv holding letters, having two parallel, horizontal upper and lower walls leaving an opening therebetween; horizontal, spaced-apart angle bars'near the upper and lower edges of said opening, having horizontal legs inturned; bolts engaging said legs, for holding said kbars in spaced relation; flanged face plates secured to the vertical legs of the angle bars, one above andone belowthe opening, theupperrflange forming with the bar a groove andthe lower -flange providing means for supporting let ter structures to close the opening.

4. A display sign comprising a framework having an opening therein-and providing a downwardly directed channel near the upper edge of the opening and a supporting rail near the lower edge of the opening, and a display character for bridging the opening, said character having its top edge fitting into the downwardly directed channel and having a 'channeled molding straddling the rail.

5. A display sign having a framework with an opening therein and providing a downwardly directed channel along the top edge of the opening and a supporting rail along the lower edge of the opening, vand insertable characters for closing` the opening, said characters having a channeled molding for fitting over the rail and having their top edges fitting into the channel in the framework.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my naine.

ALEXANDER M. KNAUBER. 

